Homeschool Field Log: Day 1

Coursework was supposed to start at 9am...already The Researcher is off to a bad start seeing as none of us got up till almost 10.

Day progressed smoothly enough. Yoga was integrated first thing to get the blood going, and large muscle groups warmed up (see Example 1). We covered math by adding large sums and carrying digits. We practiced handwriting by copying the back of the Young Indiana Jones DVD. Fractions were discussed while cooking lunch by halving, quartering and eighth-ing an onion. Typing course via on-line study was amusing. "Type on me!"

Example 1, Tree Pose

Highlight topic of the day: Chaos Theory's Butterfly Effect. It started with a book called, "Because A Little Bug Went Ka-CHOO!" (see Example 2). Thing 1 read the book, and grasped the concept rather quickly, "It's like when I hit Thing 2 and he cries, and then you get mad, and then when The Control Variable comes home he goes AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" *insert wild flailing arms and dramatic snarling here*

Example 2

In the afternoon, Thing 2 fell asleep on the way to the reading specialist, and delighted The Researcher by giving her one whole hour to indulge in magazine reading bliss while Thing 1 was in sessions.

In all, the researcher is pleased the first day was successful.

Homeschool Field Log: The Introduction

I've decided to comprise a log of my adventures in homeschooling. Let me preface this by explaining something I've reiterated again and again...I HATE THE IDEA OF HOMESCHOOLING MY KID. I never thought I'd be in this position, but the universe has colluded against this researcher. Our son's private school for learning disabled children wasn't working out, and somehow I find myself stranded for the rest of the year with only one option: Homeschool. These next two months will be a case study in my ability to homeschool my son (Thing One) while additionally handling the daily demands of my toddler (Thing 2) and still maintaining a semblance of a grown-up relationship with my husband (Control Variable). If successful, this researcher may consider homeschooling again for the next school year.

The paradigm of my study will be composed of collective materials, research, and modalities across a broad spectrum of education methodologies (Open Court, Lindamood-Bell, Slingerland, Waldorf, and Montessori). It will also encompass local resources (classes, specialists, and facilities), and will involve a fair amount of trial and error. A hands-on, rigorous curriculum has been devised for the next 2 months, and research funds for allocated extracurriculars have been secured.

Now, let us delve into the specifics:

Thing 1 was born healthy and developed typically for the first 18 months of life. He was an early talker, but then a major regression came about, at which time he did not talk again until he was almost 4 year of age. During that time he underwent massive amounts of early intervention therapies that resulted very favorably. Thing 1 streamlined into a normal kindergarten but was frustrated by lack of learning style options, so we enrolled him at a school that specialized in small class sizes, experientials, and a child-centered curriculum. School recently shifted it's core values and we are now homeschooling for the remainder for 2nd grade. Thing 1 is extremely bright and creative, highly intelligent in all aspects of visual analytics and problem solving, and fascinated with all things "Indiana Jones." He also suffers from a audio processing disorder, sensory integration dysfunction, and displays some other learning disability characteristics. He falls under the category of "Twice Exceptional" which really translates into "Twice Screwed" for anyone familiar with the Educational System of America.

Thing 2 was born via emergency C-section. He was, and continues to be, a voracious eater. Spoke first identifiable word at 4 months. Started testing parameters at age 1, and made his first jailbreak from the CA Academy of Sciences 3 months later. Thing 2 is a conniving little miscreant, but we love him dearly.





The Control Variable, aka Better Half, is a baby genius computer whiz in his own right. He's the voice of reason, and the one who keeps us all sane. He's also the funding behind this little endeavor.



I, your humble researcher, display no quantifiable smarts, and no real talents other than a large vocabulary, dismal spelling, and a gift for rhetoric. I'm also lazy.

In a last ditch effort to organize my life I electronically entered our syllabus and schedule for the next 10 weeks. See Examples 1 and 2.

Example 1

Example 2, Typical week

I also parlayed with Thing 1's teacher and reading specialist and have devised an appropriate curriculum that encompasses all four major subjects (reading, writing, math, and natural science), and have devised my own supplements in the categories of cooking/baking, life skills, calisthenics, foreign language, fine arts, social studies, and general badassedness.

I submitted all the paper-work to CA Dept of Education, and we dubbed ourselves "The Indy School" as a throwback to our indie-progressive educational stance, and well, as a tribute to Thing 1's idol, archeological wunderkind, Indiana Jones.

Coursework starts at 9am, with two hours of core subjects, followed by an hour break and another 2 hours of core subjects. Fridays are reserved for experiential outings and shenanigans.

Now, let the experiment begin!